Timer assembly for dry latrine or the like



Feb. 21, 1967 p, FRANKEL, ETAL 3,304,559

TIMER ASSEMBLY FOR DRYLATRINE OR THE LIKE Filed May 21, 1964 QZ Z n? Dana fl g/12W! (e6 Walla/((05 3% WI zee. m #ZCCZH/ United States Patent 3,304,559 TIMER ASSEMBLY FOR DRY LATRINE OR THE LIKE Donald P. Frankel, Lake Geneva, and Maurice E. Christenson, Walworth, Wis., assignors to La Mere Industries,

Incorporated, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 21, 1964, Ser. No. 369,057 11 Claims. (Cl. 4-131) This invention relates to a system for use with dry latrines or other incinerator units for timing cyclic operation of a burner, blower, or other equipment associated with the latrine. More particularly, the invention relates to such a system which is actuated by normal use of the latrine, e.g. by opening and closing the latrine cover.

Dry latrines are useful in installations where proper sewage facilities or water supply facilities are unavailable, such as in isolated areas, mobile units, and the like. One particularly acceptable form of the dry latrine includes a bowl having a peripheral seat defining an inlet to the latrine with an openable and closable cover for the inlet. The latrine bowl usually includes a fire pot in the lower portion thereof equipped with a burner and blower system for burning and exhausting materials deposited in the latrine. The bowl may also be equipped with rending apparatus for rending or comminuting materials deposited in the bowl. Usually, the burner is supplied with an igniter system and a gas supply valve.

During operation of the incinerator type dry latrine, i.e. having a burner system and fire pot, it is desirable to time the burning operation for a predetermined time interval and thereafter forcibly ventilate the fire pot with a cool air blower or the like for another predetermined time interval. It has been proposed to use timers for such operations, with the time of the cycle usually being initated by the closing of the seat after use of the latrine. Often, when the seat is reopened before expiration of the timed interval, additional material deposited and the seat reclosed, the original timed interval merely continues without addition to its length to account for the subsequently deposited materials. In other instances, each time the seat is opened an additional increment of time is added to the cycle.

It is the general object of this invention to provide a useful system for control of the operation of a dry latrine or the like.

Another object is to provide a new and useful system for controlling cyclic operation of a latrine burner and cooling system during burning and cooling cycles.

Yet another object is to provide a new and useful latrine system including a timer and timer setting mechanism for timing such operations as burning of deposits and cooling of the latrine in response to movement of the seat cover whereby opening of the seat sets a timed operation at a maximum time interval, but the timing is blocked until the seat is lowered and each reopening of the seat for use of the latrine stops the timed operation and resets the timing to the original maximum.

It is also an object of this invention to provide for depositing of materials in a latrine having timed operation without necessarily resetting the timed operation to its maximum and to also provide a timer setting system which may be used, if desired, to set the timer to a selected position for timing burning operations requiring less than the maximum time interval, or for merely actuating the cooling cycle for ventilating or cooling the latrine bowl in the absence of a burning cycle.

Other objects may be apparent to those in the art from the following description and the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top view of a portion of a dry latrine Patented Feb. 21, 1967 showing a time control assembly including a timer and timer setting mechanism in an unset position;

FIGURE 2 is a section end view along line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a section end view along line 33 of FIGURE 1 with the timer set to its maximum timing interval;

FIGURE 4 is a section along line 44 of FIGURE 1 showing the timer setting system after the timer has timed its interval or before the timer is set;

FIGURE 5 is a section as in FIGURE 4 after setting of the timer to time its maximum interval;

FIGURE 6 is a section as in FIGURE 4 after the timer has timed approximately one-half of the maximum interval; and

FIGURE 7 is a schematic wiring diagram illustrating a form of wiring for including the timer in a circuit controlling various electrically energized components of a dry latrine.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail a specific embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated.

Turning now to the figures, there is illustrated a portion of a dry latrine sufficient to show'the association of the present system with such a dry latrine. The dry latrine may, for example, be of the type described in the copending application of Donald P. Frankel, Serial No. 278,015, entitled Latrine or Toilet Apparatus, filed May 6, 1963. Such a latrine is a free standing structure having a casing 11 supported from a support surface such as a floor. The latrine includes a bowl, as illustrated at 10, and has a seat portion 13 disposed above the bowl, e.g. secured to the top of casing 11. The seat 13 is a peripheral seat defining a central inlet opening 14 to bowl 10. At the bottom of bowl 10 there will.

usually be a fire pot into which a gas burner nozzle is directed for burning materials deposited in the bowl. An exhaust blower system and vent are'also provided for venting gases and combustion products from the bowl. An impeller may also be provided for supplying gas to the gas nozzle, the vent blower and gas impeller being driven by the same or separate electric motors. A solenoid valve or other control means may be used to control supply of gas to the burner nozzle. An electric ignition means is often provided adjacent the burner nozzle for igniting the burner'to initiate the burning cycle. Other attentive equipment normally provided in such dry latrines may also be included in the present latrine, such as a trap door separating the fire pot portion of bowl 10 from the upper portion and inlet 14 of bowl 10; such trap doors are normally arranged to be movable between open and closed positions, open when the latrine is in use and closed when the latrine is not in use.

Returning more specifically to FIGURES 1 and 2, casing 11 is comprised of a bottom wall, upstanding side walls and a top wall supported by the side walls. In the form of latrine shown, the top wall of casing 11 is in the form of a peripheral flange to which seat 13 is secured by suitable means. A mounting plate 12 is also secured by suitable means, e.g. screws or the like, to the top wall flange.

A seat cover 15 is provided for opening and closing inlet 14 in seat member 13. In closed position, seat cover 15 lies over seat 13, spaced slightly therefrom by the usual bumper members. Cover 15 is secured to a shaft 16 for rotation therewith, and shaft 16 is rotatably supported at one end by a journal through a suitable bracket (not shown) secured to plate 12. The other end of shaft 16 is journaled through an upstanding leg 17 of a channel member 18 which is secured to plate 12 by machine screws or the like.

A drive sector 19 is also mounted on shaft 16 for rotation therewith. Drive sector 19 includes a gear sector portion 22 and a camming portion including a cam low 23 and a cam high or rise 24. The gear sector portion 22 of drive sector 19 is in mesh with an idler gear 25 mounted on a shaft 26 for rotation about shaft 26. Shaft 26 is secured against rotation through legs 17 and '27 of channel member 18, disposing gear 25 generally between the upstanding legs 17 and 27 of channel 18. Gear 25 is in mesh with a timer setting gear 28 which is mounted for rotation on a sleeve 29. Sleeve 29 is secured on a winding shaft 32 of a timer 33. A pin 34 is secured diametrically through sleeve 29 and projects from one side of sleeve 29.

The timer 33 is secured at 37 to an upstanding leg 35 of an angle member 36 by a conventional assembly of a nut over a male threaded sleeve loosely surrounding shaft 32, the sleeve being secured to the casing of timer 33. The angle member 36 is secured by suitable means, e.g. in the form of machine screws, to the top face of plate 12.

Another sleeve 41 is provided coaxial with gear 28 and facially secured to gear 28. Gear 28 and sleeve 41 may be formed as a unitary casting. Sleeve 41 is rotatable with gear 28 on sleeve 29. Sleeve 41 includes a deep chordal slot 42 extending beyond the circular center of sleeve 41, a distance at least about one-half the diameter of pin 34, providing a chordal surface 43 for engaging the side of pin 34. The chordal slot 42 gives sleeve 41 a bifurcated configuration comprising two coaxial discs straddling pin 34 with an interconnecting portion including surface 43 in which the chordal portion has a height less than the radius of the straddling disc portions.

The above-described linkage or transmission between shaft 16 and timer shaft 32 is for the purpose of winding timer 33 responsive to pivoting cover to a raised position. As can best be seen in FIGURES 2 and 4 through 6, cover 15 is pivotal with shaft 16 between a closed position shown in full lines in FIGURE 2, and a raised or open position shown in broken lines in FIGURE 2 slightly more than 90 rotation from the closed position. The positions of gears 19, and 28, as seen in full lines in FIGURE 2, are the gear positions with cover 15 in closed position.

As cover 15 is pivoted upward, shaft 16 and drive sector 19 carried thereby are pivoted clockwise, thereby driving gear 25 counterclockwise and gear 28 clockwise. The drive train from sector 19 to gear 28 is of about a ratio of 1:2. Since sleeve 41 is secured to gear 28, the sleeve is also driven clockwise and surface 43, engaging pin 34, carries pin 34 clockwise from the position shown in FIG- URE 4 to that shown in FIGURE 5. Shaft 32 is thereby rotated clockwise, as viewed in FIGURE 2, approximately 180 to wind timer 33 to its predetermined timing interval, e.g. 21 minutes.

Timer 33 is of the type in which the set shaft 32 must be permitted to return to unset position during the timing interval, i.e. gradually over the interval. So long as cover 15 is in raised position, surface 43 blocks counterclockwise pivoting of pin 34, thereby stopping shaft 32 from returning to unset position. Thus, the circuitry controlled by the timer 33 is actuated but the timed interval does not begin until the cover 15 is again moved to closed or lowered position. Such movement of cover 15 to closed or lowered position, i.e. after use of the latrine, causes rotation of gear section 19, gear 25, gear 28, and sleeve 41 in the reverse directions, resulting in movement of surface 43 first away from pin 34 at one end of surface 43 and then toward pin 34 at the other end of surface 43 as gear 28 is moved to the position shown in FIGURE 6. Pin 34 will move back through slot 42 as shaft 32 is unwound during timing of the interval until pin 34 is stopped upon stopping of the timer after expiration of the timed interval, thereby stopping shaft 32. The position of pin 34 in FIGURE 6 is an intermediate position at expiration of a portion of the timed interval. It should be apparent that the total timed interval can be adjusted by removing, indexing and replacing gear 28 to pick up pin 34 up to later.

It will be noted that the camming surfaces 23 and 24 are rotated with gear sector 19 during opening and closing of the seat. A plunger 46, spring-loaded in an upward direction, is provided for engaging surfaces 23 and 24. As seat 15 is moved to open position, plunger 46 is permitted to rise by following the low 23 on gear sector 19 and plunger 46 is returned to its down position as illustrated in FIGURE 2 by following the rise 24 on gear sector 19 when cover 15 is moved to closed position. The plunger 46 may be connected through suitable linkage to a trap door disposed across the latrine bowl 10 above the fire pot portion thereof for opening the trap door each time cover 15 is opened and for closing the trap door each time cover 15 is closed. Such an arrangement is more particularly shown in co-pending application Serial No. 369,056, entitled, Heating or Burning Device, and filed May 21, 1964.

Referring now especially to FIGURE 7, it will be seen that the timer may be used to control a burning cycle and a cooling cycle in a dry latrine. The illustrated circuitry includes, in addition to timer 33, lead wires for connection to a source of electric current, e.g. direct current, as indicated at 48, a.blower motor 49, an on-olf solenoid valve 50 for controlling flow of fuel gas to a burner nozzle in the latrine fire pot, an igniter 51 for igniting a burner, anda bimetallic switch 52 for de-energizing the igniter upon ignition of the burner. The timer illustrated is capable of timing an over-all maximum interval in a plurality of portions of the interval. The timer includes three terminals, A, B and C, and in the expired time position contacts A, and both B and C are broken and blower motor 49 and solenoid 50 are de-energized.

Timer 33 may be considered as capable of timing in two different intervals, a first interval and a consecutive second interval. The first interval may have, for example, a duration of fifteen minutes and the second interval a duration of six minutes, giving an over-all timed maximum interval of twenty-one minutes.

When the timer is set at maximum by raising cover 15, the circuits between contacts A, B and C are made, but a switch 53, opened responsive to opening cover 15, stops energization of the burner igniter 51 and gas supply valve 50, preventing initiation of the burner cycle. However,

'the circuit to blower motor 49 is not broken and ventilating operation is provided by the blower so long as the seat cover 15 remains raised. Upon release of the timer for timing, i.e. by lowering cover 15 as the timing begins, switch 53 is closed and the burner solenoid 50 and igniter 51 and the blower motor 49 are all energized, to supply fuel to the burner and ignite the fuel issuing from the burner nozzle. Upon ignition of the fuel, the temperature responsive bimetallic switch 52 de-energizes igniter 51 while solenoid valve 50 remains open and blower motor 49 remains energized.

Upon expiration of the first portion of the timed interval, i.e. fifteen minutes, the circuit from A to B is broken and the circuit from A to C remains completed until expiration of the second portion of the timed interval, i.e. an additional six minutes. Breaking of the circuit from A to B closes solenoid valve 50 to stop the flow of gas and the burner becomes extinguished. However, during the remainder of the timed interval, the blower motor 49 operates to blow air through the bowl and burner for cooling and venting the bowl.

A floating cooling cycle switch override system, such as described in the above-identified copending application Serial No. 369,056, may be mounted in addition to switch 53 for cycle control. ,Briefiy an additional temperature responsive switch 58 is used to by-pass the timer and continue the cooling cycle past the prescribed time interval in the event the timed interval was not sufiicient to bring the temperature down to a preselected value.

Switch 53 also has a safety function. Each time cover 15 is raised, switch 53 is opened so that each time cover 15 is open, the burner, if operating, is shut down. Switch 53 is also advantageous in assuring that cover 15 is completely moved to closed position before the burner is ignited, switch 53 closing responsive to closing cover 15.

Thus, the timer may be used to control various motor means, e.g. in the form of a blower motor and/ or solenoid valve, within a dry latrine device to give a burning cycle followed by a cooling cycle after normal use of the latrine. It will also be seen that cover 15 may be manipulated to give selected lesser burning times, e.g. where it is merely desired to burn paper or the like in the bowl. Accordingly, cover 15 is pivoted at least the distance required to cause contacts A to close with B and C and beyond such position an amount commensurate with the desired burning. When the cover 15 is returned to its closed position, the timer will begin timing from the partially set position corresponding to only a portion of the maximum I interval. The operation of burner and blower is the same as described above, except that the burning cycle is of shorter duration. Also, where it is desired to merely vent the pot with cover 15 closed, the cover 15 may be lifted to a position sufiicient to close only contacts A and B, and thereafter closed. In addition the end of the shaft 32 is slotted (not shown) for a key screwdriver inser tion so that the cycle can be varied or discontinued by manual turning of this shaft.

We claim:

1. In a closet, a receptacle having an inlet, heating means for heating said receptacle, and cover means movable between open and closed positions for opening and closing the inlet, the combination therewith of timer means for timing a preselected total time interval and generating an output signal in response to expiration of at least a portion of the timed interval, means responsive to said timer means for actuating said heating means during said interval and for deactuating said heating means responsive to said output signal, and means responsive to each movement of said cover means to open position for actuating said timer to time said total time interval.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said last mentioned means includes means blocking said timer from timing said interval with said cover in open position.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said blocking means is adapted to unblock responsive to movement of said cover away from open to closed position.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said last mentioned means comprises means engaging and setting the timer during movement of said cover to open position and disengaging said timer during movement of said cover to closed position.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said timer is adapted to break an electric circuit, thereby generating said output signal for de-energizing a motor means.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the timer means is a timer for timing said interval in a plurality of consecutive portions, including a first portion for timing a burning cycle and a second portion for timing a cooling cycle, and generating an output signal in response to expiration of each portion of the interval.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said heating means is a burner and including cooling means, means responsive to the signal generated at expiration of said first portion of the time interval for deactuating the burner and terminating the burning cycle and energizing said cooling means for initiating said cooling cycle in the bowl and means responsive to the signal generated at expiration of 6 said second portion of the time interval for terminating the cooling cycle by deactuatin-g said cooling means.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein said heating means is a burner and including blower means, burner fuel control means, and transmission means associated with said timer for de-energizing said burner fuel control means responsive to expiration of a first portion of the time interval and for de-energizing said blower means responsive to expiration of a second portion of the time interval.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein said responsive means is adapted to actuate said timer to time a shorter interval than said portion of the total interval responsive to movement of said cover to a position less than said open position.

10. In a latrine having a bowl with a seat member defining an inlet to the bowl, an outlet from the bowl, means for forcing waste material from the bowl through the outlet, and a cover means movable between open and closed positions for opening and closing the inlet, a timer having a shaft rotatable in one direction to a predetermined set position for setting said timer for timing a predetermined interval, said shaft rotating in the opposite direction during the timing of the interval, drive means associated with said cover for driving in a first direction responsive to opening said cover and in a second direction responsive to closing said cover, transmission means driven by said drive means and engaging said shaft for driving said shaft to said set position responsive to movement of said cover to open position, said transmission means being adapted to disengage said shaft during movement of said cover to closed position, and means responsive to said timer means for actuating said forcing means.

11. In a latrine including a bowl, a'n'in'let tosaid bowl, an outlet from the bowl, means for forcing waste material from the bowl through the outlet, a seat member at said inlet and a cover mounted for movement between open and closed positions for opening and closing said inlet, a timer mounted on said latrine and including a shaft rotatable in one direction for setting a timed interval and returning in the other direction during timing of the interval, a pin protruding radially from said shaft, a sleeve rotatably mounted on said shaft and of a bifurcated configuration straddling said pin, said bifurcated configuration being defined by a chordal slot in said sleeve of a depth at least about one-half of the diameter of said pin beyond the radius of said sleeve, means for rotatably driving said sleeve in one direction and return responsive to movement of said seat from closed to open position and return, said sleeve being disposed with the bottom of said slot engaging said pin during rotation of said sleeve in said one direction for turning said shaft in the direction setting said timer, said slot being wider than said pin whereby movement of said sleeve in the return direction responsive to movement of said cover to closed position moves the slot bottom from engagement with said pin permitting independent return rotation of said shaft during timing with said pin sweeping through said slot, and means responsive to said timer means for actuating said forcing means during the timed interval.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,957,625 5/ 1934 Brannan.

2,813,274 11/1957 Lewis et al.

2,903,709 9/ 1959 Blankenship et al 4131 3,121,880 2/1964 Gelhar 4249 3,134,986 6/1964 Gelhar 4-249 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

H. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A CLOSET, A RECEPTACLE HAVING AN INLET, HEATING MEANS FOR HEATING SAID RECEPTACLE, AND COVER MEANS MOVABLE BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS FOR OPENING AND CLOSING THE INLET, THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF TIMER MEANS FOR TIMING A PRESELECTED TOTAL TIME INTERVAL AND GENERATING AN OUTPUT SIGNAL IN RESPONSE TO EXPIRATION OF AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE TIMED INTERVAL, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID TIMER MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID HEATING MEANS DURING SAID INTERVAL AND FOR DEACTUATING SAID HEATING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID OUTPUT SIGNAL, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO EACH MOVEMENT OF SAID COVER MEANS TO OPEN POSITION FOR ACTUATING SAID TIMER TO TIME SAID TOTAL TIME INTERVAL. 